After hearing Kenjaku's explanation, Shion felt a flicker of surprise at Sukuna's past.
The version of the story he had known never reached this point.
But in the next moment, his brows drew together.
"So why did you take over Sukuna? Or better yet, what are you really after?"
Shion's gaze sharpened.
"Don't tell me it's for fun. I'm not interested in hearing that."
In the original account, many had questioned Kenjaku's motives.
His answer had always been the same, fun.
It was only when he was trapped by Takaba Fumihiko's cursed technique, facing someone strong enough to stand on equal ground, that he gave a different answer.
Loneliness.
But even that answer felt hollow.
Loneliness?
Destroying the world just to ease that feeling?
Kenjaku paused briefly. "Ah… well…"
"Before anything else," Shion cut in calmly, "tell us everything about what happened a thousand years ago."
At that moment, the four Special Grades finally arrived.
Satoru removed his headphones.
Through the device linked to his brother, he had already heard Kenjaku's explanation about Sukuna.
Now, standing on the battlefield, his expression turned complicated.
"We already understand Sukuna," he said. "What about you, Kenjaku?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Or should I call you… Ashiya Doman?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere froze.
"Ashiya Doman? That legendary Onmyoji?"
Shion's eyes narrowed further. Things were becoming more tangled than expected.
Kenjaku froze for a brief second, then smiled faintly, a trace of nostalgia surfacing.
"Ashiya Doman… it has been a long time since anyone called me that."
His gaze shifted.
"Sugawara no Michizane told you, didn't he, Satoru?"
Satoru said nothing. He simply stared.
Kenjaku, or rather Ashiya Doman, scratched his head lightly.
"That really takes me back."
He exhaled.
"So, do you still want to hear the story?"
Shion gave a small wave of his hand.
"As you wish."
"Alright."
Ashiya Doman began speaking, his voice steady as the secrets of a thousand years unfolded.
"During the Heian period, the world was in chaos. Famine spread everywhere, and countless terrifying beings appeared, Vengeful Spirits, what you now call Cursed Spirits."
"At that time, a powerful human was born. He mastered celestial divination, understood governance, and could exorcise Vengeful Spirits while commanding Shikigami."
"His name was Abe no Seimei."
At the mention of that name, something flickered in Doman's eyes.
"Back then, Jujutsu Sorcerers were known by another name, Onmyoji."
"And Abe no Seimei stood at the very peak of them all."
Doman let out a cold laugh.
"As for your Lord Tengen, he was merely an acolyte who followed Abe no Seimei."
"He could never stand me."
That revelation surprised everyone present.
Doman continued without pause.
"Abe no Seimei… he was truly powerful. Even I, praised as a genius since childhood, could not surpass him."
"But at the time, I was the only one capable of standing against him. Because of that, I was known as his sole rival."
"We fought constantly. There was barely a moment of peace."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"And yet, I enjoyed that life."
His tone dipped slightly.
"But I never defeated him."
"In cursed techniques, in combat, in every aspect, I lost completely."
He raised a finger.
"Except for one thing… humanity."
"I never conceded to him on that."
"In his eyes, humans are the soul of all things."
"Their negative emotions give birth to Vengeful Spirits. To him, that was simply part of the natural balance of yin and yang. Onmyoji existed to maintain that balance."
Doman's expression darkened.
"But I saw it differently."
"Humans are not worthy of such praise."
"They are the source of everything rotten in this world."
"Even if Vengeful Spirits bring disaster, their existence depends entirely on humans."
"So in the end, humans are the root of all calamity."
His voice grew colder.
"My conclusion was simple. Eliminate both humans and Vengeful Spirits. Create a perfect race, one without flaws."
"That would be a perfect world."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"We argued endlessly. But even until his death, there was no conclusion."
Silence lingered for a moment.
"After he died, the arguments disappeared."
Doman's eyes dimmed slightly.
"And my world became empty."
"Life turned dull."
"So I became a monk… and took the name Kenjaku."
"During that time, Tengen carried on Seimei's will. He established the Three Great Families, Jujutsu High, and the entire modern jujutsu system."
"The title Onmyoji faded. Jujutsu Sorcerer became the new name."
"The old era came to an end."
"I thought my life would end with it."
His gaze shifted back to Shion.
"Until one day, I discovered Datten."
A faint smile appeared.
"Do you know why I've done all this?"
"I believe it's because of loneliness."
"When Abe no Seimei died, something inside me vanished."
"That emptiness… became loneliness."
"So I began planning everything."
"To settle the argument we never finished."
"To prove that humanity should not exist."
"To prove that a perfect race should replace it."
His voice grew quieter, almost distant.
"Only through this can I feel that Seimei is still here."
"As if he's standing beside me, arguing as always."
"Only then…"
He looked up at the sky.
"Only then will I no longer feel alone."
With that, he stood and took out a small cube.
"Inside this lies the Cursed Spirit tree where Tengen resides."
"It was planted by Abe no Seimei himself."
"The Heavenly Restriction Pillar."
"It's time."
He tossed the cube to the ground.
In an instant, a massive tree burst forth from the earth.
Its trunk spanned kilometers, and its leaves spread wide enough to cover all of Tokyo, blocking out the sky.
Doman's body slowly rose into the air.
His cursed energy resonated with the towering tree.
"After corpse wax and brain swapping, my body has already surpassed both humans and cursed spirits."
"I have evolved into something new."
"Through Idle Transfiguration, I can transform others into this same existence."
"The Datten body provides the cursed energy needed to complete my plan."
"And the Heavenly Restriction Pillar acts as a transmitter, spreading my technique across the entire world."
He raised his hands.
"Everything is ready."
"The evolution begins."
Attack on Titan 80:
From his back, arms began to emerge.
One after another, until twenty pairs formed.
Each hand created a different seal.
The mudras of the Twenty Devas appeared all at once.
His voice echoed like a chant.
"Domain Expansion… Paradise."
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